Traveler&#39;s pillow and case



Nov. 25, 1952 F. c. RITCHEY TRAVELERS PILLOW AND CASE f d z I a)- m J a LW M M a m m a m m i m m/m, m 4 m T m i n f vh w 1.14.1. J E A- L L a. M w

JNVENTOR. 6 Flosqze 6*. @L'Z'e/Iey Patented Nov. 25, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TRAVELER/S PILLOW AND CASE Flossie c. Ritchey, Nashville, Ark.

Application July 20, 1948, Serial No. 39,782

4 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in travellers accessories with particular reference to a novel combined pillow and carrying case, which latter may be used for other purposes than carrying a pillow, and which when the pillow is in place may be utilized for carrying fragile elements such as a mirror or the like, which the pillow protects against breakage.

The invention aims to provide a device as characterized which is simple in construction, neat and attractive in appearance, and which will enable a pillow to be carried in folded compact form when not in use.

Additionally, the invention contemplates a combined pillow and carrying case which latter when the pillow is not in use as such, can be availed of as a seat or cushion.

A further and more specific object of the invention is to provide novel means for securing a pillow in place in a carrying case, so that when the case is opened out such securing means will not provide objectionable edges at the margin of the pillow to be engaged with the neck or head of the pillow user.

The invention also resides in certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of the various parts, as will be better understood from a reading of the accompanying detailed description of the preferred embodiment of my inventive concept which is illustrated in the. accompanying drawing.

In the drawing, wherein the same reference characters have been used to designate the same parts throughout the several views,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of my novel item with the case closed, in which form it is adapted to be used as a seat or cushion;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the case opened out flat and disclosing a pillow therein;

Fig. 3 is a detailed view in section taken on either one of the lines 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4. is a detailed sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 5 is a detailed view in plan showing one pillow carried tab extending through a slot in the pillow case, a portion of which latter is shown in section.

Referring to the drawing by reference characters, the pillow receptacle of Fig. 2 which is foldable to provide the carrying case of Fig. 1

is generally indicated by the reference character 8, and will preferably be formed of waterproof flexible material such as, for instance, waterproof fabric, leather, or the like.

As shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4 the pillow receptacle 8 embodies a bottom 9 which when the receptacle is folded to closed position, as shown in Fig. 1, provides the outer sides of a carrying case.

In carrying out the invention, the receptacle 8 (Figs. v2, 3 and 4) is provided with the side walls H] which taper to reduced heighth in the direction of the mid-point Illa of the case as best illustrated in Fig. 1.

The receptacle 8 (Fig. 2) also embodies end walls H which are preferably integral with the side walls 10 so as to provide therewith a continuous upstanding marginal rim when the receptacle is opened out, as in Fig. 2, it being noted, however, that the marginal rim or sides at the point Illa projects but very slightly above the plane of the bottom 9 of the case.

Referring to Figs. 2 and 4, the pillow I2 there illustrated, is the usual form of full-sized bed pillow with the removable pillow slip or case l3. Fig. 4 illustrates the inner end of the pillow l2 as having a small tab extension 14 which is projected through the buttonhole-like opening 15 in the inner end of the pillow slip or case I3.

The outer end of the tab 14 (see Fig. 4) has one element of a conventional snap fastener, as indicated at l8, and this fastener element I6 is adapted to engage in the companion snap fastener element I1 which is secured to the inner surface of the proximate end wall I l of the case 8.

Turning now to Fig. 3 in conjunction with Fig. 2, it will be noted that the pillow 12, at the open end of the pillow slip or case l3 has a much wider tab l8 secured thereto and this pillowcarried tab 18 extends out through the open end of the pillow slip or case l3.

In the case of the tab I8 of Fig. 3 at the open end of the pillow slip l3, it provides adjacent opposite side edges of its outer end (see Figs. 2 and. 3) a snap element I9. These two snap ele-- ments 19 (one adjacent each side edge of the wide tab l8 of Fig. 2) are adapted to engage conventional snap elements 20 (Fig. 3) which are carried by the inner surface of the end wall I I of the pillow receptacle 8 which is adjacent the open end of the pillow case or slip l3.

Thus, the tabs l4, l8 and the associated snap elements carried thereby and by the proximate end wall l I of the receptacle 8 serve to retain the pillow in place against the bottom wall 9 of the receptacle 8.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, the receptacle 8 may be said to provide duplicate sections or halves 2|, 22 which are separated by the transverse mid-point of the receptacle 8 extending between the low points Illa of the side walls [0. Since the material of which the receptacle 8 is made is flexible, the ends of the receptacle may be readily folded inwardly in the plane of Illa, Ilia, from the flattened out form illustrated in Fig. 2 to the carrying case or closed form illustrated in Fig. 1.

An important feature of the construction is the fact that the side walls I!) of the sections 2 I, 22 gradually increase in height in the direction of the end walls I I so as to cooperate with said end walls to provide what might be termed pillowconfining pockets while leaving no interfering side wall portion I adjacent the center part of the pillow which would support the head of the user when in use.

Obviously, stress upon the mid-part of the pillow when in use would tend to press the ends of the pillow l2 longitudinally and to some extent laterally, and this action is resisted by the end walls I I of the receptacle 8 and the proximate high portions of the side walls 10 near and at the ends thereof.

As a means for retaining the receptacle 8 closed when its end sections 21, 22 are folded upwardly into opposition with one another to provide a carrying case, as shown 'in Fig. l, I avail myself of the conventional tooth and slide-incorporating (zipper) fastener, which embodies interengageable teeth 23, carried -by the side and end wall portions l8, H of the respective sections 2|, 22.

Figs. 3 and 4 illustrate that the securing (zipper) teeth '23, 24 are carried by the usual tapes 23a, 24a, which are stitched as at 2'! to the inner surfaces of the end and side walls I 1, ill, respectively. A conventional slide element 25 (see Fig. 1) having the finger piece 25a is slidably carried by one series of zipper teeth 23 (or 24), and has the usual means for embracing the other series of teeth to bring the two sets into retaining en gagement with one another.

In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, the bottom wall 9 has its marginal edges turned up and beaded inwardly, as indicated at 9a, which latter portions are stitched as at 26 to the outer surfaces of the end and side walls i l it adjacent the lower edges thereof, as shown.

A convenient means for carrying the closed case is provided in the form of the straps 2 l a, 22a which I secure to the side wall portions W of the sections 2|, 22, as shown.

The item dealt with herein serves a very definite need for the bus and day coach traveller because pillows frequently cannot be rented and even when available the traveller necessarily has doubt as to the sanitary condition of the pillow itself, if not the slip or case.

The item makes a convenient back rest for the automobile traveller, particularly the driver, and when in the folded position of Fig. 1 may be utilized to put in a childs chair in a dining room, so as to bring him up to a position where he can eat from the grown-ups table.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim is:

1. A traveller's accessory in the nature of a combined seat, pillow and article-receiving bag, comprising in combination a pillow, a removable slip therefor open at one end into which the pillow is inserted, tabs extending from opposite ends of said pillow, a fastener element adjacent the free end of each tab, said pillow slip having a slot at its closed end through which one of said pillow-carried tabs is projected, the other tab extended through the open end of said slip, a receptable removably receiving said pillow and slip and made of flexible wear-resistant waterproof material, said receptacle having side and end walls providing a substantially continuous pillow embracing flange, fastener elements carried by the inner surfaces of the end walls of said receptacle and cooperating with the tab-carried fasteners to secure the pillow and receptacle together, the side walls of said receptacle tapering to reduced height from each end toward the midportion of said receptacle whereby to divide said receptacle into matching sections of triangular form as viewed in side elevation and to provide a transverse fold-facilitating area intermediate the ends of said receptacle, cooperating fastening means carried by the side and end walls of said receptacle sections and engageable with one another when the sections are folded inwardly, and carrying means carried by the ends of each receptacle section.

-2. A device of the class described comprising a receptacle foldable to provide a carrying case and consisting of a bottom and upstanding side and end walls, the side walls each having portions converging in the-direction of the transverse mid-portion of the bottom and closely approaching the plane of the bottom at said midportion thereof, whereby to provide a transverse fold area, and provide substantially duplicate oppositely disposed sections, the end walls and the side walls of each said section providing pillowabutting and confining portions of considerable height, a pillow removably positioned in said receptacle and confined in position by said walls, securing means for retaining the pillow and receptacle assembled, said securing means being carried in part by the pillow at its ends and in by the end walls of said receptacle, the duplicate sections at opposite sides of the transverse mid-portion of the receptacle having fastening means carried by the side and end walls of said thus provided sections for securingthe same together when folded toward one another.

3. The combination set forth in claim '2, and said pillow having a removable covering slip, and the closed end of said pillow covering slip having a slot through which the proximate fastening means element of the pillow extends.

4. The combination of a pillow and receptacle aerefor foldable to provide a carrying case, "the receptacle having a bottom and continuous marginal side and end walls, the side walls being reduced in height in the direction of the transverse znid-portion of the bottom and closely approaching the same at that point, whereby to provide a weakened transverse fold area, the bottom of the receptacle being flexible at the region of said transverse fold area, means detachably securing a pillow in said receptacle and the end walls of the receptacle and side wall portions adjacent said end walls being of relatively considerable height whereby to form stops or abutments for the pillow to confine same against spreading when in use, the side walls adjacent the mid-portion of the receptacle bottom being protected by the pillow from engagement with the head or neck of the user when the pillow is in use, the thickness of the pillow being relativeiy greater than the height of said receptacle side walls at such point for the purpose specified, the portions of said receptacle and contained pillow which are on opposite sides of the transverse center line of the base of the receptacle being foldable toward one another to bring the corresponding side and end walls thereof into engagement, and fastening means carried by said walls.

FLOSSIE C. RITCHEY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in file of this patent: the

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name 

